Unexpected

Part 6: My Heart

They decided not to wake the slumbering child.

The poor thing had a trying... well...life.

They sat quietly on opposite sides of the couch- the awkward silence billowing around them as they sip the coffee Max had made for them.

It's been a lot.

A lot of pain.

A lot of worry.

A lot of anger and fear between them.

This silence almost makes them feel miles apart- when in fact it's only three feet.

"I don't know what to do." She quietly says- her voice hoarse from crying and being sick. "She can't go back... she...she can't go..."

He says nothing, his mind just as blank and expressionless as has been since Georgia passed.

"She's just a girl...a tiny thing...brilliant and...funny... What am I to do, Max?" She knows what she has to do. She knows and she will- but questioning it somehow brings a bit of relief to her in some small odd way.

She's looking for his advice.

For his comfort.

"You fight. You fight for her."

"How..."

"Taking her in. Getting her out of your father's care." He quietly says with a bit of frustration in his voice. "Despite what you think, Helen..."

He stops and holds his tongue.

He does want to cause more problems than he had today.

"What?"

"Nothing...forget it..." He back pedals, but she's not letting go. She's tired of him doing this. Half saying what he means.

"Max." She bites.

"I was just going to say...you don't have to do it alone." He says meekly and her cheeks pinken as she looks away from him.

"Right..."

"I'm sure Cassian will be very supportive of your decision to parent a child." He jabs before finishing his coffee and getting up. It instantly pisses her off.

"You're probably right. Cassian will probably be overjoyed actually. Might even ask me to marry him." She arrogantly jokes and Max with his back to her nods and gives a thumbs up-  yet his face is full of annoyance and pain.

"Well...please do me a favor and don't invite me. I've been sick enough already." He grumbles and washes his cup in the sink. Getting up and going to him, she sets the cup on the counter beside him and he takes it quickly.

"Oh you don't want to come? I was gonna ask Luna to be the flower girl." She continues her sickening joke and he fumes inwardly.

"She'd probably love that- so long as you drop her off in Connecticut on the way to your honeymoon. She'll be much happier there."  His vicious fast pace of cup washing slows down as he realizes what he just said. It's not her fault she doesn't remember her father.

She's not even two.

So much time away was obviously going to impact her and he's stupid for not realizing that sooner.

"Max, you did what was best for her. Really, I would have done to same thing." She sweetly says as she places her hand on his upper arm. Looking down at it- he wishes he could turn time around and do over all the parts he messed up so that she would love him and be with him stead of feeling more comfort from Cassian. "It'll take time...but she does still love you."